Poquoson child struck by a vehicle

Father wants to make Poquoson Avenue safer

January 24, 2012|Amanda Kerr, akerr@dailypress.com | 757-247-4733

POQUOSON – The father of a child who was struck by a car earlier this month while walking to school along Poquoson Avenue near Little Florida Road addressed City Council Monday night about safety issues at the intersection where his son was hit.

Roger Livingston urged City Council to consider a number of safety measures to improve the intersection of Poquoson Avenue, Little Florida Road and Laydon Way, including lengthening the 25 mph school zone speed limit, extending a sidewalk on the eastbound side of Poquoson Avenue to the intersection and installing a visible crosswalk. There currently is no crosswalk and the sidewalk ends before the intersection.

Poquoson Police Chief Cliff Bowen said in an interview Tuesday that the incident occurred on Jan. 12 at around 7:30 a.m. when the 13-year-old boy was walking east on Poquoson Avenue on the sidewalk. As the child approached the intersection he crossed between two parked cars in the east lane that were backed up at the stop sign.

Bowen said as the child stepped into the westbound lane he was struck by a car. Livingston told City Council his son suffered a pelvic fracture. Speed was not a factor in the incident and Bowen said the driver has not been charged.

In the last 12 months there have been five accidents along Poquoson Avenue near the intersection. Bowen said there was one incident involving a bicyclist and a car but that none of the crashes involved children walking to school.

Bowen said he and other city staff have been looking at ways to redesign the intersection to make it safer.

"It's not a straight four-way intersection. Poquoson Avenue winds through the intersection," he said.

Bowen supports Livingston's suggestion about adding a crosswalk. He said the challenge will be to place the crosswalk in such a way so that pedestrians are visible from all angles of the intersection.

"I think it's important the kids know this is where we expect you to cross, and that vehicles see that and understand this is where someone is crossing and to be on the alert for possible children walking in the road there," he said.

Members of City Council supported the idea of taking additional safety measures at the intersection. Eastern Precinct Councilman Herbert Green Jr. asked City Manager Randy Wheeler to get more information on the costs and efforts it would take to extend the sidewalk and add a crosswalk.

Livingston urged City Council to act quickly.

"Nobody wants to see a child hit by a car," he said. "I know the city is facing tough financial times, but I don't think safety should come secondary to budget issues."